I reckon we’ve had between 6 inches and 8 inches of snow so far today. I’ve shoveled the front steps and sidewalks 3 times – as well as the back deck and walkway to the garage. And with 4 pugs who can’t walk in deep snow, I even shoveled some paths for them in the back yard so they could maneuver the snow drifts. No more shoveling, at least for today!
Tomorrow and the coming days will be another story, as we’re expecting another 6 inches and the projected high temperature for early next week will be -4 degrees F. Yes, a negative four degrees!
It is definitely soup weather — and a hearty sweet potato and lentil soup is on the menu. It’s both really satisfying on a cold winter’s day (or night) and SO EASY to make in a crock pot. Or do you say slow cooker? I find I go back-and-forth, so forgive me that. I guess it could be worse if I called it a ‘crock cooker’ or a ‘slow pot.’ The latter might be understandable if I lived in Colorado!
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup dried red lentils
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add 6 cups of water and stir.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or on low for 8 hours). Stir the soup with a whisk to make a rough puree. Thin with hot water, if needed. Great to serve with fresh-baked bread.
Notes
Lightly adapted from a recipe in Food Network magazine.
You might ask, “Why is there a cover of Louisiana Cookin’ magazine with the pop culture heroes from Duck Dynasty in this post?” Well, the latest issue of Louisiana Cookin’ features an exclusive Duck Dynasty down-home holiday menu with some of the favorite dishes of the Duck Dynasty family. And I have to admit I’m curious to try their recipes for Root Beer Red-Eye Gravy and a spicy Skillet Cornbread with bacon….but that’s not why I included the cover.
Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits Win Grand Prize
The reason I included the cover is that the very next featured spread in the November/December issue of Louisiana Cookin’ announces the winners of the 2013 Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest, sponsored by the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission. I am excited to finally be able to share the (very surprising) news that my recipe for Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits won the grand prize! I was flabbergasted when I got the call, and humbly honored to receive this recognition. I had hoped that maybe the recipe could win ‘best in category’ for a side dish. I couldn’t even dream that it would be deemed good enough to win the grand prize.
Preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, cream of tartar and cayenne pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in Cheddar cheese and bacon. Make a well in the center of flour mixture.
In small bowl, whisk together milk and sweet potato. Add sweet potato mixture to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until combined. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead gently 12 times. Roll dough to a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 8 rectangular pieces.
On the prepared baking sheet, place biscuits 1 inch apart. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
This recipe won grand prize in the 2013 Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission's Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest and appeared in the November/December 2013 issue of Louisiana Cookin' magazine.